Resident Evil: Every Game Ranked By How Long They Take To Beat

When it comes to survival horror and zombie action, Resident Evil dominates the genre. Since the first game was released in 1996, Resident Evil titles have consistently been coming out year after year with new storylines and deadly virulent creatures for the iconic characters to fight.

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And each varies in the amount of time it takes to complete a full run of the entire game, whether it be one straight campaign or multiple character scenarios. Some find themselves on the short side, but others can stretch out quite a while to prolong the terror. Below are the average times of numerous Resident Evil games, from the earliest to the most recent.

The game lengths for this article were sourced using howlongtobeat.com.

Updated March 28, 2023 by Dennis Moiseyev: With the release of Resident Evil 4 Remake, it was time to give this comprehensive list of past Resident Evil titles, ranked by how long it takes to beat them, an extensive makeover with updated information, new additions, and visuals. Now making it on here in terms of completion time is also, rightfully, the Resident Evil 4 Remake.

20 Resident Evil 2 - 6 Hours

On the short end of the spectrum is the original 1998 version of Resident Evil 2. Despite a long opening cut scene that looked straight out of an action film, the game itself still maintained many of the horror elements found in the original game. The iconic camera angles, tank controls, and close-quarters encounters were all there.

The sequel takes you away from an isolated mansion location and into the streets of Raccoon City and the iconic Raccoon City Police Department, which forms the backstory for the new character Leon S. Kennedy. You also play as Claire Redfield, sister of S.T.A.R.S. operative Chris Redfield, a protagonist in the first game.

19 Resident Evil 3 Remake - 6 Hours

The remake of Resident Evil 3 ended up feeling underwhelming to most due to it following the remake of Resident Evil 2, which had a significantly longer runtime. It ended up having the reverse issue of the second game, where it somehow became even shorter to beat than the original 1999 version.

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The remake of Resident Evil 3 feels very cinematic, having many exhilarating set pieces with Jill Valentine and Nemesis throughout the gameplay. The game has some truly stunning graphics that showcase spectacular character models of the classic cast, but the runtime leaves more to be desired.

18 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis - 6.5 Hours

The original debut of Nemesis comes in at a half-hour longer than the 2020 remake. While Resident Evil 2 might have featured the first-ever stalker enemy in the form of Mr. X, Resident Evil 3 was the first game in the series to popularize that mechanic. The entire game was built around the titular Nemesis tracking and following you from room to room.

As you progress through the puzzles and missions, Nemesis gets more and more dangerous, eventually wielding the signature rocket launcher. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis also marked the return of Jill Valentine as a playable protagonist in the series.

17 Resident Evil (1996) - 7 Hours

The game that started it all also finds itself on the short side of the scale. Clocking in at an average completion time of seven hours, the original Resident Evil might be considered brief by today's standards. But considering its puzzles and mastery of the unique survival horror mechanics at the time of its release, the playtime sounds reasonable.

This game ultimately helped solidify survival horror as a gaming genre, bringing with it iconic main characters like Albert Wesker, Jill Valentine, and Chris Redfield. The intro is made in an FMV format with real actors portraying the pixelated in-game characters, and the mansion setting defined the title, Resident Evil.

16 Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - 7.5 Hours

The Umbrella Chronicles isn't a main installment but rather a spin-off game with rail-shooter mechanics that recaps the stories of Resident Evil Zero, Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. It was first made exclusively for the Wii to pair with the Wii Zapper that becomes an arcade-style gun holding the remote and nunchuck.

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The gameplay follows scenarios that showcase the most important sections of these classic Resident Evil titles and also puts forward a brand-new one in which Jill and Chris hunt after Umbrella in Russia. Covering so many stories in a single game can sure eat up the time, but you can also play with a friend to help speed things along.

15 Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles - 8 Hours

As with The Umbrella Chronicles, The Darkside Chronicles follows the same format of a rail-shooter game with Wii Zapper compatibility. This one decides to recap the story of Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil - Code: Veronica, and again offers a new final scenario. The brilliant Darkness Falls mission features Leon and Krauser, which helps set up Resident Evil 4.

You can also play alongside someone else and shoot through the infected t-Virus hordes. It's a great option if you haven't had a chance to play through the original sequel and Code: Veronica and the cutscenes are much improved and engaging. Even though it incorporates fewer games, it still features a lengthier playtime than its predecessor.

14 Resident Evil Outbreak - 8 Hours

Resident Evil Outbreak debuted in 2003 as a standalone game that explores the point of view of new characters during the Raccoon City outbreak, in between the timeline of the second and third games. You have eight different characters you can play as, each with a unique set of skills, and it was the first title in the series to feature a co-op multiplayer gameplay style.

The types of characters you could become have diverse backgrounds, from a waitress to a surgeon to a handyman and, of course, an RCPD officer named Kevin Ryman. These folks have their own full plate of zombies in addition to one of the tallest Tyrants produced by Umbrella, Thanatos.

13 Resident Evil: Revelations - 8.5 Hours

Resident Evil: Revelations is a spinoff game set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and 5. It saw the return of Jill Valentine, who had been missing in action since the events of Resident Evil 3, and puts her back alongside her partner Chris Redfield from the original game. The setting brings you back to the familiar cruise ship environment previously used in Resident Evil: Dead Aim.

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The camera is positioned over the shoulder, as was made the series standard since Resident Evil 4. Door puzzles and keys are still a main part of the game, aside from some zombie close-quarters action and new freakish mutated enemies from the t-Abyss Virus. The aquatic environment is a nice change, and you have a new scanning mechanic via a device called Genesis.

12 Resident Evil 2 Remake - 8.5 Hours

For its remake of Resident Evil 2, Capcom decided to bring back the classic survival horror atmosphere of the original game while presenting it with a fresh coat of paint in terms of lighting and graphics. The game likewise continues to adopt the same third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective instead of the fixed camera angles from the original.

The two-and-a-half-hour longer runtime also fleshes out several portions of the game, making it an overall longer game to beat. Or maybe it's also the amount of struggle you have with the game's revamped g-Virus William Birkin bosses and other challenging sections in the game, like being hunted by Mr. X.

11 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - 9.5 Hours

2017's Resident Evil 7 was a remarkable release in the mainline series, as it was the first game presented from a first-person perspective. And not only that, it introduced you to yet another new protagonist, Ethan Winters. Biohazard marked a return to the survival horror roots based inside a residence, with its claustrophobia-inducing hallways of the Baker family home in Louisiana.

It's a harrowing journey for Ethan Winters as he searches for his wife Mia, who's being held captive by the Bakers, who have been, you guessed it, turned into Bioweapon pawns. The first-person perspective makes the experience more immersive, and the boss transformations get far more disturbing and grotesque here.